Approximately two-thirds of divers with decompression illness experience damage to their nervous system. These signs are often vague and can go unrecognized by the diver, causing the symptoms to be dismissed as insignificant or not dive related and delaying treatment.

Additionally, stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability. Recognizing signs and symptoms of a possible stroke and activating EMS can minimize lasting effects.

The Neurological Assessment course focuses on how to obtain essential information about an individual involved in a dive emergency or suspected of having a stroke and what information to relay to emergency medical services.

The DAN Neurological Assessment course is designed to:

Describe the warning signs of stroke or decompression illness.

Identify when it is appropriate to conduct an neurological assessment.

Conduct a neurological assessment.

Only medical professionals should diagnose medical conditions. The information you gather while performing a neurological assessment can be useful to the emergency physician in understanding the extent of the injury and how it has changed during the time it took to transport the patient to definitive care.**Divers Alert Network: Website - Courses - Neurological Assessment; 2013-04-02